Changes

|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]

|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]

|religion=

|religion=

|office=Louisiana State Representative for District 14 (Morehouse and Ouachita parishes)

|office=Louisiana State Senator for District 35 (Grant, Jackson, Lincoln, Ouachita, Rapides, and Winn parishes)

|term_start=January 2012

|term_end=

|preceded=[[Sam Little]]

|office2=Louisiana State Representative for District 14 (Morehouse and Ouachita parishes)

|succeeded=}}

|term_start2=January 2012

|term_end2=January 2020

|preceded2=[[Sam Little]]

|succeeded2=}}

'''John Clyde "Jay" Morris, III''' (born May 24, 1958), is a [[business]]man and [[Lawyer|attorney]] from [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], [[Louisiana]], who is a [[Republican]] member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 14, which encompasses Ouachita and Morehouse parishes in the northeastern portion of his state.

'''John Clyde "Jay" Morris, III''' (born May 24, 1958), is a [[business]]man and [[attorney]] from [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], [[Louisiana]], who is a [[Republican Party|Republican]] incoming member of the state Senate for District 35, which encompasses the parishes of Grant, Jackson, Lincoln, Ouachita, Rapides, and Winn. Morris unseated Republican state Senator [[James R. Fannin]] by 334 votes in a runoff election held on November 16, 2019. Morris trailed during most of the tabulation of the votes but finished with 17,377 votes (50 percent) to Fannin's 17,043 (also 50 percent). Morris trailed during most of the tabulation of the ballots but finished with 17,377 votes (50 percent) to Fannin's 17,043 (also 50 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 16, 2019.</ref>.

 

Morris is a departing state representative for District 14 in Morehouse and Ouachita parishes.  

   

   

Morris won the position in the [[general election]] held on November 19, 2011, when he unseated fellow Republican [[Sam Little]], a  retired farmer, originally from Bastrop in Morehouse Parish. Morris polled 5,005 votes (59.1 percent) to Little's 3,463 ballots (40.9 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/11192011/11192011_Legislative.html|title=Louisiana general election returns, November 19, 2011|publisher=staticresults.sos.la.gov|accessdate=May 17, 2012}}</ref> In the campaign for the heavily [[redistricting|redistricted]] seat, Little and Morris accused each other of engaging in negative campaigning. A graduate of [[Louisiana State University]] and the LSU Law Center, both in [[Baton Rouge]],<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/134583/john-morris-iii|title=Rep. John Morris, III|publisher=votesmart.org|accessdate=May 17, 2012}}</ref> Morris is employed in the mortgage service industry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/DI/20111116/NEWS01/111116024/|title="Morris, Little go negative in District 14 race"|publisher=''Alexandria Daily Town |date=November 16, 2011|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|accessdate=November 20, 2011}}</ref>

Morris won the representative's position in a runoff contest held on November 19, 2011, when he unseated fellow Republican [[Sam Little]], a  retired farmer, originally from Bastrop in Morehouse Parish. In that race, Morris polled 5,005 votes (59.1 percent) to Little's 3,463 ballots (40.9 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/11192011/11192011_Legislative.html|title=Louisiana general election returns, November 19, 2011|publisher=staticresults.sos.la.gov|accessdate=May 17, 2012}}</ref> In the campaign for the heavily [[redistricting|redistricted]] seat, Little and Morris accused each other of engaging in negative campaigning. A graduate of [[Louisiana State University]] and the LSU Law Center, both in [[Baton Rouge]],<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/134583/john-morris-iii|title=Rep. John Morris, III|publisher=votesmart.org|accessdate=May 17, 2012}}</ref> Morris is employed in the mortgage service industry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/DI/20111116/NEWS01/111116024/|title="Morris, Little go negative in District 14 race"|publisher=''Alexandria Daily Town |date=November 16, 2011|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|accessdate=November 20, 2011}}</ref>

   

   

Morris formerly worked on Capitol Hill in [[Washington, D.C.]], for former U.S. Senator [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], a [[Democrat]].<ref name=bio/> He was also a staff member at one time for the Louisiana Municipal Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thepoliticaldesk.com/?p=749|title=Rookie Cheat Sheet|publisher=thepoliticaldesk.com|accessdate=May 17, 2012}}</ref> He is a  partner of the Thompson, Sparks, Dean and Morris law firm.<ref name=bio/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lawyer.com/firm/thompson-sparks-dean-morris-monroe-la-121937-contact-information.html|title=Thompson Sparks Dean & Morris|publisher=lawyer.com|accessdate=May 17, 2012}}</ref>

Morris formerly worked on Capitol Hill in [[Washington, D.C.]], for former U.S. Senator [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], a [[Democrat]].<ref name=bio/> He was also a staff member at one time for the Louisiana Municipal Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thepoliticaldesk.com/?p=749|title=Rookie Cheat Sheet|publisher=thepoliticaldesk.com|accessdate=May 17, 2012}}</ref> He is a  partner of the Thompson, Sparks, Dean and Morris law firm.<ref name=bio/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lawyer.com/firm/thompson-sparks-dean-morris-monroe-la-121937-contact-information.html|title=Thompson Sparks Dean & Morris|publisher=lawyer.com|accessdate=May 17, 2012}}</ref>